Peter,
an apostle
of Jesus Christ,
to the strangers scattered
throughout Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia,
and Bithynia,
Elect according to
the foreknowledge
of God the Father,
through sanctification
of the Spirit,
unto obedience
and sprinkling
of the blood
of Jesus Christ:
Grace unto you,
and peace,
be multiplied.
Blessed
be
the God
and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which according to
his abundant mercy
hath begotten us again
unto a
lively hope
by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ
from the dead,
To an inheritance incorruptible,
and undefiled,
and that
fadeth
not away,
reserved
in heaven
for you,
Who are kept
by the power
of God
through faith
unto salvation ready
to be revealed
in the last time.
Wherein ye
greatly rejoice,
though now for a season,
if need be,
ye are in heaviness
through manifold temptations:
That the trial
of your faith,
being much more precious
than of gold
that perisheth,
though it
be tried
with fire,
might be found
unto praise
and honour
and glory
at the appearing
of Jesus Christ:
Whom having not seen,
ye love;
in whom,
though now
ye see him not,
yet believing,
ye rejoice
with joy
unspeakable
and full of glory:
Receiving the end
of your faith,
even the salvation
of your souls.
Of which
salvation the prophets
have enquired
and searched diligently,
who prophesied
of the grace
that should come
unto you:
Searching what,
or what manner
of time
the Spirit
of Christ which
was
in them did signify,
when it
testified beforehand
the sufferings
of Christ,
and the glory
that should follow.
Unto whom
it was revealed,
that not unto themselves,
but unto us they
did minister
the things,
which are now reported
unto you
by them that
have preached
the gospel
unto you
with the Holy Ghost
sent down
from heaven;
which things the angels
desire
to look into.
Wherefore gird
up the loins
of your mind,
be sober,
and hope
to the end
for the grace
that is
to be brought
unto you
at the revelation
of Jesus Christ;
As obedient children,
not fashioning yourselves according to
the former
lusts
in your ignorance:
But as he
which hath called you
is holy,
so be
ye holy
in all manner
of conversation;
Because
it is written,
Be ye holy;
for I
am holy.
And
if ye
call on
the Father,
who
without respect
of persons
judgeth according to
every man's work,
pass the time
of your sojourning here
in fear:
Forasmuch as ye
know
that ye
were not redeemed
with corruptible things,
as silver
and gold,
from your vain conversation
received
by tradition
from your fathers;
But with the precious blood
of Christ,
as of a lamb
without blemish
and without spot:
Who verily was foreordained
before the foundation
of the world,
but was
manifest
in these last times
for you,
Who
by him do believe
in God,
that raised
him up
from the dead,
and gave him glory;
that your faith
and hope
might be
in God.
Seeing
ye have purified
your souls
in obeying
the truth
through the Spirit
unto unfeigned love
of the brethren,
see that
ye love one
another
with a pure heart fervently:
Being born again,
not of corruptible seed,
but of incorruptible,
by the word
of God,
which liveth
and abideth
for ever.
For all flesh
is as grass,
and all
the glory
of man
as the flower
of grass.
The grass withereth,
and the flower
thereof falleth away:
But
the word
of the Lord
endureth for ever.
And this
is the word
which by the gospel
is preached
unto you.
Wherefore laying
aside all malice,
and all guile,
and hypocrisies,
and envies,
all evil speakings,
As newborn babes,
desire the sincere milk
of the word,
that ye
may grow thereby:
If so
be
ye have tasted
that the Lord
is gracious.
To whom coming,
as unto a living stone,
disallowed indeed
of men,
but chosen
of God,
and precious,
Ye also,
as lively stones,
are built up
a spiritual house,
an holy priesthood,
to offer
up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable
to God
by Jesus Christ.
Wherefore also
it is contained
in the scripture,
Behold,
I lay
in Sion
a chief corner stone,
elect,
precious:
and
he that believeth
on him shall not be confounded.
Unto you therefore which
believe
he is precious:
but unto them
which be disobedient,
the stone
which the builders disallowed,
the same
is made
the head
of the corner,
And a stone
of stumbling,
and a rock
of offence,
even to them
which stumble
at the word,
being disobedient:
whereunto also
they were appointed.
But
ye are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood,
an holy nation,
a peculiar people;
that ye
should shew
forth the praises
of him
who hath called
you out of darkness
into his marvellous light;
Which in time
past were not a people,
but are now
the people
of God:
which had not obtained mercy,
but now have obtained mercy.
Dearly beloved,
I beseech you
as strangers
and pilgrims,
abstain
from fleshly lusts,
which war
against the soul;
Having your conversation honest
among the Gentiles:
that,
whereas
they speak
against you
as evildoers,
they may by your good works,
which they
shall behold,
glorify God
in the day
of visitation.
Submit yourselves
to every ordinance
of man
for the Lord's sake:
whether it
be to the king,
as supreme;
Or unto governors,
as unto them
that are sent
by him
for the punishment
of evildoers,
and
for the praise
of them that
do well.
For so
is the will
of God,
that with well doing
ye may put
to silence
the ignorance
of foolish men:
As free,
and not using
your liberty
for a cloke
of maliciousness,
but as the servants
of God.
Honour all men.
Love the brotherhood.
Fear God.
Honour the king.
Servants,
be subject to
your masters
with all fear;
not
only to the good
and gentle,
but also to the froward.
For this
is thankworthy,
if a man
for conscience
toward God
endure grief,
suffering wrongfully.
For what
glory
is it,
if,
when
ye be buffeted
for your faults,
ye shall take it patiently?
but if,
when ye
do well,
and suffer
for it,
ye take it patiently,
this is acceptable
with God.
For even hereunto were
ye called:
because Christ
also suffered for us,
leaving us
an example,
that ye
should follow
his steps:
Who did
no sin,
neither was
guile
found
in his mouth:
Who,
when
he was reviled,
reviled
not again;
when he suffered,
he threatened not;
but committed himself
to him
that judgeth righteously:
Who his own self bare
our sins
in his own body
on the tree,
that we,
being dead
to sins,
should live
unto righteousness:
by whose stripes
ye were healed.
For ye
were as sheep going astray;
but are now returned
unto the Shepherd
and Bishop
of your souls.
Likewise,
ye wives,
be in subjection
to your own husbands;
that,
if any
obey not
the word,
they also may
without the word
be won
by the conversation
of the wives;
While they
behold your chaste conversation
coupled with fear.
Whose adorning
let
it not be
that outward adorning
of plaiting the hair,
and
of wearing
of gold,
or of putting on
of apparel;
But let
it be
the hidden man
of the heart,
in that which
is not corruptible,
even the ornament
of a meek
and quiet spirit,
which is in the sight
of God
of great price.
For after this manner
in the old
time the holy women also,
who trusted
in God,
adorned themselves,
being
in subjection
unto their own husbands:
Even as Sara
obeyed Abraham,
calling him lord:
whose daughters
ye are,
as long as ye
do well,
and are not afraid
with any amazement.
Likewise,
ye husbands,
dwell
with them according to knowledge,
giving
honour
unto the wife,
as unto the weaker vessel,
and
as being heirs
together of the grace
of life;
that your prayers
be not hindered.
Finally,
be ye
all of one mind,
having compassion one
of another,
love as brethren,
be pitiful,
be courteous:
Not rendering
evil for evil,
or railing for railing:
but contrariwise blessing;
knowing that
ye are thereunto called,
that ye
should inherit
a blessing.
For he
that will love life,
and see
good days,
let him
refrain
his tongue
from evil,
and his lips that
they speak
no guile:
Let him eschew evil,
and do good;
let him
seek peace,
and ensue it.
For the eyes
of the Lord
are over the righteous,
and his ears
are open
unto their prayers:
but
the face
of the Lord
is against them that
do evil.
And who
is
he that
will harm you,
if ye
be followers
of that which
is good?
But and
if ye
suffer
for righteousness' sake,
happy are ye:
and be not afraid
of their terror,
neither be troubled;
But sanctify
the Lord God
in your hearts:
and be ready always
to give an answer
to every man
that asketh you
a reason
of the hope
that is in you
with meekness
and fear:
Having a good conscience;
that,
whereas
they speak evil
of you,
as of evildoers,
they may be ashamed
that falsely accuse
your good conversation
in Christ.
For it
is better,
if the will
of God
be so,
that ye
suffer for
well doing,
than
for evil doing.
For Christ
also hath once suffered
for sins,
the just for the unjust,
that he
might bring us
to God,
being put
to death
in the flesh,
but quickened
by the Spirit:
By which also
he went
and preached
unto the spirits
in prison;
Which sometime were disobedient,
when once
the longsuffering
of God
waited
in the days
of Noah,
while the ark
was a preparing,
wherein few,
that is,
eight souls
were saved
by water.
The like
figure whereunto even baptism
doth also now save us
(not the putting away
of the filth
of the flesh,
but the answer
of a good conscience
toward God,)
by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ:
Who is gone
into heaven,
and is on the right hand of God;
angels
and authorities
and powers
being made
subject unto him.
Forasmuch
then as Christ
hath suffered
for us
in the flesh,
arm yourselves likewise
with the same mind:
for he
that hath suffered
in the flesh
hath ceased
from sin;
That he
no longer should live
the rest
of his time
in the flesh
to the lusts
of men,
but to the will
of God.
For the time past
of our life
may suffice
us to have wrought
the will
of the Gentiles,
when we
walked
in lasciviousness,
lusts,
excess of wine,
revellings,
banquetings,
and abominable idolatries:
Wherein they
think it strange
that
ye run not
with them
to the same excess
of riot,
speaking evil
of you:
Who shall give account
to him
that is ready
to judge
the quick
and the dead.
For for this cause
was
the gospel
preached also
to them
that are dead,
that they
might be judged according to men
in the flesh,
but live according to God
in the spirit.
But the end
of all things
is at hand:
be ye
therefore sober,
and watch
unto prayer.
And above all things
have fervent charity
among yourselves:
for charity
shall cover
the multitude
of sins.
Use hospitality one
to another
without grudging.
As every man
hath received
the gift,
even so
minister the same one
to another,
as good stewards
of the manifold grace
of God.
If any man speak,
let him
speak
as the oracles
of God;
if any man minister,
let him
do it as
of the ability
which God giveth:
that God
in all things
may be glorified
through Jesus Christ,
to whom
be praise
and dominion
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Beloved,
think it
not strange concerning
the fiery trial which
is to try you,
as though
some strange thing
happened
unto you:
But rejoice,
inasmuch as
ye are partakers
of Christ's sufferings;
that,
when his glory
shall be revealed,
ye may be glad
also with exceeding joy.
If ye
be reproached
for the name
of Christ,
happy are ye;
for the spirit
of glory
and of God
resteth upon you:
on their part
he is evil spoken of,
but on your part
he is glorified.
But let none of you
suffer
as a murderer,
or as a thief,
or as an evildoer,
or as a busybody
in other men's matters.
Yet
if any man
suffer
as a Christian,
let him
not be ashamed;
but let him
glorify God
on this behalf.
For the time
is come
that judgment
must begin at the house
of God:
and
if it
first begin at us,
what shall
the end
be of them that
obey not the gospel
of God?
And
if the righteous
scarcely be saved,
where shall
the ungodly
and the sinner appear?
Wherefore let them
that suffer according to
the will
of God
commit the keeping
of their souls
to him
in well doing,
as unto a
faithful Creator.
The elders which
are among you
I exhort,
who am also
an elder,
and a witness
of the sufferings
of Christ,
and
also a partaker
of the glory
that shall be revealed:
Feed the flock
of God
which is among you,
taking the oversight
thereof,
not by constraint,
but willingly;
not for filthy lucre,
but of a ready mind;
Neither as being lords over God's heritage,
but being ensamples
to the flock.
And
when the chief Shepherd
shall appear,
ye shall receive
a crown
of glory that
fadeth
not away.
Likewise,
ye younger,
submit yourselves
unto the elder.
Yea,
all of you
be subject one
to another,
and be clothed
with humility:
for God
resisteth the proud,
and giveth
grace
to the humble.
Humble yourselves therefore
under the mighty hand
of God,
that he
may exalt you
in due time:
Casting all your care
upon him;
for he careth
for you.
Be sober,
be vigilant;
because your adversary
the devil,
as a roaring lion,
walketh about,
seeking whom
he may devour:
Whom resist stedfast
in the faith,
knowing that
the same afflictions
are accomplished
in your brethren
that are in the world.
But the God
of all grace,
who hath called us
unto his eternal glory
by Christ Jesus,
after that
ye have suffered
a while,
make you perfect,
stablish,
strengthen,
settle you.
To him
be glory
and dominion
for ever and ever.
Amen.
By Silvanus,
a faithful brother
unto you,
as I suppose,
I have written briefly,
exhorting,
and testifying
that this
is
the true grace
of God
wherein ye stand.
The church
that is
at Babylon,
elected together
with you,
saluteth you;
and so
doth Marcus
my son.
Greet
ye one another
with a kiss
of charity.
Peace be with you
all that
are in Christ Jesus.
Amen.